PADRES: Reliever Frieri shows no fear in pressure-packed situations

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Ernesto Frieri would love to be the Padres'
own Mr. Fix It.

The second-year reliever lives for pitching in tight spots. In
his brief time in the majors, he has displayed the moxie required
for those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants situations, too. But as
eager as Frieri is to one day become a setup man or a closer, he
remains grounded.

He isn't trying to leap tall buildings in a single bound nor is
he trying to reinvent the wheel. Frieri, 25, is instead focused on
progressing forward with the confidence that his talent and hard
work will eventually get him where he wants -- right in the middle
of every calamitous setting the Padres are willing throw his
way.

Frieri didn't waste time succeeding in his first hairy situation
of the spring when he entered Monday's game with the bases loaded
and none out. He left the bases loaded by inducing a weak line
drive and striking out two.

"Those are the kind of situations I like to get into," Frieri
said. "It gets exciting and there's adrenaline. I'm ready for those
situations. That's why I like to be a reliever, because I want to
play the game every single day."

Frieri often teases closer Heath Bell about taking over his
role. But Bell seriously believes Frieri has the tools necessary to
one day take over.

Not only does Frieri throw an invisible fastball according to
Bell -- "now you see it, now you don't," he said -- but he also
knows his place in the pecking order. Even though he was 1-1 with a
1.71 ERA in 33 games last season, Frieri doesn't feel entitled to a
roster spot. He said his sole focus this spring is to work hard,
improve and make the team.

None of that surprises Bell.

"He keeps telling me he wants to take my job one day," Bell said
with a smile.

"But he wanted to do what I did and learn to be a major league
pitcher. He's trying to learn. Even though he was having success,
he wasn't trying to say, 'I've got this.' He was trying to
learn."

Learning from any situation has been a staple of Frieri's
growth.

Though he mostly pitched out of the bullpen for his entire
career, Frieri didn't balk in 2008 when the Padres suggested he
become a starting pitcher to work on perfecting his other pitches.
Instead, Frieri moved to the rotation without a fuss and re-learned
how to throw a curveball.

Now a two-pitch pitcher, Frieri throws his curveball nearly 20
percent of the time and his fastball the other 80 percent,
according to fangraphs.com.

"That was the best decision that they made with me," Frieri
said. "When they made me a starter, I threw my curveball more and
my changeup, too, and I got my curveball back."

Frieri's main project this spring has been to refine his
fastball mechanics.

Pitching coach Darren Balsley likes Frieri's across-the-body
delivery and how it gives his fastball life in the strike zone
while offering deception. But the two have worked on getting Frieri
to throw from a higher arm angle so he can be more consistent.

One aspect Balsley isn't tinkering with is Frieri's demeanor on
the mound.

"That's the thing I was most impressed with all year," Balsley
said. "He wanted the ball every time. He showed no fear. He showed
respect for hitters but no fear, which is what you want out of your
reliever."

Nothing seemed to rattle Frieri, not pitching at Dodger Stadium
or AT&T Park or stepping into a meaningful game with the
outcome in doubt.

Frieri credits his confidence to his hard work and his talent.
He believes if he puts in the effort, good things will come -- in
due time.

"Those kinds of situations, you need to have it under control
and you have to be professional," Frieri said. "I'm the kind of guy
who works hard so I don't have any doubt when I'm on the mound
because I know that I worked hard to be there.